Whispers, Shells, and Sandcastles
by Marigold451
Summary: Hungary remembers a day at the beach when Prussia was with her.


Elizabeta was in the need of cleaning her house. Going to the closet closest to her front door, she examined the over-stuffed tiny room and sighed. _I have my work cut out for me_, she thought.

Reaching up to a small box teetering on the top shelf, Hungary pulled it down and opened it. Her hand flew to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her cry. Inside was a note and a small cockle shell with red ribbon threaded through it. The ribbon was just long enough to go around her finger.

The note read:

Keep this, Liz. It reminds me of the most awesome day of my life, and you were there. You should remember it, too. Signed,  
Gilbert

Elizabeta's knees gave and she slid down the wall. As tears dripped from her eyes, she remembered.

* * *

_The sight was breath-taking from up there: the sun was just beginning to rise above the water, giving the sky a pinkish-orange hue. The gulls were starting to circle above the beach, looking for an early breakfast to steal from an innocent bystander. The sand was a polished white, reflecting the tint of the heavens. And the water - it looked calm and inviting, the soothing sound of the waves enveloping Elizabeta's mind._

An arm grasped around her waist suddenly and Elizabeta peeled her eyes away from the scenery to give a sidelong glance at Gilbert. "What?" she asked him, her face furrowed.

"Nothing. I'm really surprised that you wanted to come with me. I never thought you would say ja..." He blushed unexpectedly and turned his gaze toward the sun rise. Verdammt! Why am I blushing?! Then again, I did invite her to the beach... And her bathing suit...!_ Gilbert gulped and attempted to not nose-bleed._

Elizabeta enjoyed the moment in his arms and closed her eyes, reveling in Gilbert's scent and the feel of the ocean breeze weaving through her hair.

When the two noticed the effect of the sweet embrace had turned awkward, both cleared their throats and didn't make eye-contact until they were standing on the shores of the sand beach they had seen from the cliff.

The albino had the difficult task of setting up the umbrella. While he struggled with that, Hungary pulled the cooler up next to the area where Gil was. She set down the beach bag that had their sunscreen and towels in it and asked, "Do you need help, Gil?" She smirked as he continued to struggle.

Hanging his head and admitting defeat, he replied, "Ja, the awesome me need help..."

Elizabeta's laugh tinkled through the air, and she crouched down so she could dig a new hole that would support the umbrella and keep it from falling over.

When that strenuous task was finished, Hungary wiped her forehead, leaving granules of sand scattered on her face.

"Liz," Gilbert whined, "can we eat now? It's not awesome to be hungry..." He sat down in the shade of the umbrella.

The Hungarian lifted a brow and gave him a "that's-not-cool" face as she reached into the cooler beside her, seating herself next to the Prussian. "Really...? Because I think it's awesome being me," she challenged with a smirk.

It was Prussia's turn to laugh. "Was? I'm hungry, woman! Just give me the damned food!"

Elizabeta giggled and taunted Gil with a croissant. As he glomped her, reaching the food, he chuckled and took a bite of the croissant.

Noticing the position Hungary had put them both in, she immediately stopped laughing.

Gilbert looked at her blushing face, suddenly confused. Then, he realized, his leg was between her open ones and their hips were tightly meshed together. The albino's heart sped up, as Hungary's had done long before. This rapid beat made heat leak onto his face.

Prussia cleared his throat and got off of Elizabeta. "Sorry... I-it was unawesome of me to do that..." Gil got the rest of his breakfast out of the cooler.

Hungary missed Gilbert's warmth as soon as he pulled away, but disguised her feelings by eating the remainder of her meal. Today is going to be a long day_, she thought._

- TIME SKIP BROUGHT TO YOU BY FRYING PANS: GREAT KITCHEN UTENSILS AND WEAPONS -

_When both countries came back from their dip in the waves, the awkward atmosphere had not dissipated. They avoided eye-contact, unless it was necessary._

As they sat there, eating their mid-afternoon meal, Prussia attempted to make conversation. "So, why did you come with me? Your country's not in its most awesome shape, right? So why are you here?" Gil cocked his head to one side as he asked.

Elizabeta swallowed the bite of sandwich in her mouth and replied: "All I've done the past few weeks is try to come up with solutions that will solve my economic problems and the hunger strike. I decided I needed a break. That's why I agreed to come with you to the beach today."

The albino nodded, as that explained everything.

There was a long pause before Hungary asked, "What is it like, not having any responsibilities as a country? Do you like not being responsible for all those people? I'm starting to get tired of my country's problems..."

Gilbert was taken aback at her boldness. No one had ever asked him if he liked not having a nation to look after anymore. "Well, I don't have a brother on me all the time talking about how I should 'govern my people' and 'do everything in order to make them happy,'" he used air quotes as he answered, "and, I guess you could say I have more freedom now to do what I want. Although, I don't have anything to look forward to, now that I'm not a country anymore. Being a nation was awesome, but when my country was dissolved... It was hard to get up every morning. But now I don't have to worry about getting injured in wars my country's involved in. That's the part I'm most thankful for. That and how I can now spend my life as I please, not following my boss's orders."

Hungary was a tad surprised that the Prussian had answered so honestly, but was grateful for the sincerity. She felt the need to be honest, now that he'd shared his feelings with her. "I wish I wasn't a nation," she said, her voice holding a serious undertone.

Gil looked to the Hungarian seated beside him his mouth slightly agape. "Was?! Why would you want to do that?!"

Elizabeta folded her arms on her knees and rested her head atop them. "I just don't like having to care for all these people! It wasn't that hard when my nation was at peace with its leader. Now, I am constantly at war with my own boss and we never reach an agreement that will make my people happy. I'm frustrated at my boss and wish I could be more like you..."

Prussia let the words of admiration sink in. "I didn't know you felt that way," he admitted, lifting Hungary's head from her knees and staring into her deep green eyes. "If I could do anything that I could to help, I would. I just don't want you going through the pain I did to not be a nation anymore..."

Tears slid down Hungary's cheeks. "I don't want to be a nation so much... It's starting to get hard to get up in the morning. I have what you want, something to look forward to every morning, while all I want is to not have these responsibilities... It's so hard!" She wrapped her arms around Gil's form and placed her head in his chest.

"Elizabeta, it's alright. Nothing will hurt you while the awesome me is here. Ich liebe dich."

Hungary's tears stopped in their tracks. "Miről beszélsz?" she asked as she looked up into Gil's red eyes.

"Well, I've liked you for a very long time, but I've just had the guts to share mein awesome feelings. They're another reason I invited you here." He whispered the last sentence so only she could hear it.

"I've been broken ever since my failed union with Roderich, yet you still want me," she whispered, awe in her green pools.

"Ja. I don't know why the Arschloch ever let you go," he smirked and kissed the top of Liz's head. "And now that I have you, I won't make the mistake he did."

Hearing this, Elizabeta cried into his chest in relief. Prussia just held her close and ran his fingers through her hair, whispering reassuring things in her ear in German.

When she tired herself out, Liz wiped her nose with her hand and stood. "Hey, Gilbert?"

Gilbert's eyes followed her form as she rose and finally settled on her face. Her eyes were bloodshot, but to Gilbert she looked just as beautiful as she had before she cried. "Was?"

"Do you want to make sand castles? We could make two so we could play 'War' like we used to..." Hungary smiled as she saw the albino's eyes light up at the thought of playing like they had in their childhood.

"Ja! I will make the most awesome sand castle," he gloated, getting up from his sitting position with a wide grin, "so that you will have no choice but to surrender! Kesesese~"

As the two raced away from their beach spot, they forgot one very important thing: the sunscreen.

* * *

_I remember now, _Elizabeta thought, straggling tears making their way down her face. _We finished making the sand castles and played in the ocean some more. Then we walked on the beach as the sun set. That's where he gave me this_, she thought, glancing at the shell. Hungary laughed a little as she tried to dry her tears. _And I remember how different we both looked after that day - I had a nice tan while he was sunburned._ Her eyes twinkled as she remembered how he complained that having a sunburn wasn't 'awesome'. _I just know that Gilbert would have remembered that day if he hadn't have left..._

Hungary sighed and finished drying her tears. She started to put the shell in the box with the note, but pulled the hand-made ring out at the last minute. She slipped it on her left ring-finger where Gilbert had placed it the day at the beach. He'd promised something as he'd tied the ribbon around her finger: _Don't forget me. I'll always love you._

And she still hadn't to this day.


End file.
